Colorful Nature Wreaths

Have a magnolia tree in your yard? Making this wreath will be a cinch.

• Medium-weight floral wire
• 24-inch-diameter grapevine wreath (or smaller, if desired)
• Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
• Clusters of fresh magnolia leaves
• Fresh fruits such as kumquats, clementines (a seedless tangerine-like fruit), pomegranates, apples
• Mixed in-shell nuts

1. Wire magnolia leaves to the grapevine wreath. Add them in clusters, working counterclockwise and pointing all the stem ends in the same direction. Pack the clusters tightly so the wreath looks very full.

2. Add the fruit. Secure the clementines, pomegranates, and apples on floral wire by pushing a piece of wire through the fruit from side to side. Twist the wire ends together tightly at the base of the fruit, leaving the wires long to form a tail. Referring to the photo for placement, position the fruits on the wreath, nestling them down into the magnolia leaves. Push the wire tail through to the back of the wreath and twist it around the grapevine. Cut off any excess wire so it's flush with the back of the wreath.

3. Secure with glue. Attach the kumquats and nuts to the wreath with hot glue and glue gun.

4. Make a loop for hanging. Fold a piece of floral wire in half and wrap it tightly around the vines at the back of the wreath.